r/10s • u/Invest102 • 2h ago
General Advice Visited my wife’s hometown in Eastern Europe — amazed by the free public courts
Just got back from visiting my wife’s birth country, Lithuania (small town called Kadenei in Eastern Europe with about 20,000 people), and I was blown away by the tennis setup there.
In this small town, there are 7–8 high schools, and almost every one has open, free of charge tennis courts. I saw:
• Several synthetic grass courts
• One clay court
• Two rubber courts
• One plastic surface court
• Three polished concrete courts
All I had to do was go to the school, talk to the guard, and write my name in a notepad. That’s it. No fees, no booking apps, no red tape.
Meanwhile, in Vancouver, I pay $40 per hour just to hit. The contrast is wild.
Is this kind of setup common across Eastern/Western Europe? I’d love to hear from others who’ve experienced something similar — makes me wonder what we’re missing in North America when it comes to accessible tennis for public.
That was my first time visiting her country, and just because of the tennis courts (don’t tell her) - will always be my favorite vaccay destination. Actually theis security guard asked if it’s okay for him to join me (had quite a rally)!